This lesson examines biblical passages that have been proposed by some as promoting the immortality of the soul and/or the existence of a forever-burning hell. The passages are as follows:
_Luke 16:19–31_: a parable about the rich man and poor Lazarus. Although some claim this parable to be a literal description of the afterlife, further study of the context demonstrates that Jesus instead used the parable (a) to show that being rich doesn’t guarantee heaven and (b) to call people to obey the Scriptures.
_Luke 23:43_: Jesus tells the thief on the cross, “ ‘Today you will be with Me in Paradise’ ” (NKJV). When compared with other passages in which Jesus says that He has not gone up yet to God on resurrection Sunday (John 20:17) and His statement that we will be with Him after He comes back for us (John 14:1–3), it is clear that Jesus is not promising that He and the thief will meet in heaven that very day. Rather, the thief will be in heaven after the resurrection. Christ’s whole sentence makes it clear: “I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
_Philippians 1:21–24 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18_: Paul says that he looks forward to being “with the Lord,” but he is simply not including elapsed time between his death and the resurrection.
_1 Peter 3:13–20_: Christ’s preaching to the “spirits in prison . . . in the days of Noah” (NKJV) does not mean that Jesus personally delivered a message to the disobedient antediluvians in hell, but instead signifies a warning about the prison of sin, spoken through Noah by God’s Spirit.
_Revelation 6:9–11_: The souls of the martyrs who cry out for justice under the altar of burnt offering do not refer to literal souls; they are a symbol of those who have been murdered for their faithfulness to God.
Part II: Commentary
Let’s look a bit deeper at two of the passages studied in this lesson: (1) the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) and (2) the souls of the martyrs crying out for vengeance (Rev. 6:9–11).
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31)
Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus in order to demonstrate the seriousness of our choices while we are alive. Jesus did not tell this story in order to give us information about life after death. What we choose to give our allegiance to here, whether to Christ or not, cannot be changed after death (Heb. 9:27).
Moreover, the parable points out that if a person doesn’t care to be taught by Scripture, then even seeing someone come back from the dead will not convince them to believe. In other words, if a person has access to Scripture and yet doesn’t adjust his or her behavior, then if someone came to them with the news of an awful hell, it still wouldn’t make any difference. Jesus makes it clear that either a person has an open heart to God or a hardened heart, and it’s only that person’s attitude, or softness of heart, toward God that leads to repentance and a changed life (Ezek. 36:26, 27). We have no excuse because we all have need of the Scriptures that tell us about God (Luke 16:29–31).
Nothing in the context of this parable suggests that Jesus was dealing with the state of the dead here. Instead, in the previous passage Jesus is preaching about selfishness, dishonest gain, and stewardship mainly in reference to handling money. Then He transitions to the story of the rich man and Lazarus, emphasizing that wealth does not guarantee a happy eternity in heaven. In other words, eternal life is based on accepting the salvific work of Christ on our behalf. Moses and the prophets pointed to the Messiah.
Some have protested that this story should not be called a parable because it begins with “there was a certain rich man,” instead of specifying that it is a parable. But the argument doesn’t hold up because there are other parables that begin the same way, such as the previous one, which starts with the same phrase: “there was a certain rich man” (Luke 16:1).
The details of the story also disprove the idea of its being a literal description of a burning hell. First of all, it would be impossible for someone who is burning alive to feel refreshed by his tongue being cooled by a finger that was dipped in water. Additionally, the close distance between heaven and “hell” would make it impossible for anyone to enjoy his time in heaven if he could, at any point, have a conversation with a loved one right beside him, who is burning for eternity. The promise from the book of Revelation that there will be no more pain, sorrow, and tears in heaven would never be realized (Rev. 21:4).
We can be thankful that this parable does not represent reality. We serve a God who doesn’t torture someone for eternity. Roy Gane lists three major problems with an ever-burning hell:
“1. Would God feed fruit from the tree of life to the wicked to keep them alive in hell? If so, this would contradict the biblical teaching that only those who are saved enjoy the right to this fruit (Rev. 22:14). Consider Genesis 3, where God barred sinful Adam and Eve from the tree of life precisely to prevent them from living forever (Rev. 22:22–24), and as a result, they died (Gen. 5:5 regarding Adam’s death).
“2. In Revelation 20, the ‘lake of fire’ that destroys the wicked covers a vast area on the surface of the earth around the New Jerusalem (Rev. 20:8–10). There is no indication in Revelation 21–22 that the molten ‘lake’ remains as a permanent feature of the new earth.
“3. Those who are thrown into the ‘lake of fire’ suffer the ‘second death,’ which is the last death (Rev. 20:14, 15; Rev. 21:8). Therefore, they die; they do not go on living eternally in infernal misery.”—Roy E. Gane, “At-one-ment Forever in God’s New Heaven and New Earth,” Salvation: Contours of Adventist Soteriology, pp. 255, 256.
Souls of the Martyrs (Rev. 6:9–11)
Given the references to “slain” and “blood,” the altar in view here is the altar of the burnt offering, rather than the altar of incense. Because the blood of animals was poured out beneath the altar, the blood of the saints thus was symbolically offered to God as a sacrifice. The saints under the altar died because of their faithful witness to the gospel. Although a tragedy, their deaths also are a triumph because they died in Christ (Rev. 14:13).
The “souls” cry out, not for revenge but for legal justice. “God is asked to conduct a legal process leading to a verdict that will vindicate his martyred saints.”—Joel N. Musvosvi, Vengeance in the Apocalypse, Andrews University Seminary Doctoral Dissertation Series 17 (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1993), p. 232. The saints were persecuted unjustly and died because they were faithful to God and dedicated to passionately proclaiming the gospel. The vindication for which they cry out is their own, but also, and most important, is for the character of God to be shown as true, holy, and just.
There are several reasons these saints should not be seen as literal “souls” who are crying out to God but, rather, as a symbolic representation of the blood of the saints that cries out for justice.
First, it is significant that the altar of the burnt offering was located in the outer court of the temple because, as Ranko Stefanovic points out, that means “the scene portrayed here takes place not in the heavenly temple but on the earth.”—Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation, 2nd ed. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2009), p. 244. The outer court thus symbolized the earth. Therefore, the “souls of the slain” are crying out from the earth and cannot, therefore, be spirits that are “alive” in heaven.
Second, after the saints are given white garments that represent the righteousness of Christ, the martyrs are told to “wait a little longer,” until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, are killed just as they had been (Rev. 6:11, NIV). Literally, they are told “to rest a little while yet.” The word for “rest” is anapauo, and is translated as “rest, refresh, to stop, or even to die.” It also is used in Revelation 14:13: “ ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest [anapauo] from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’ ” (NIV). This group appears again when they are brought back to life at the Second Coming: “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus. . . . They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4, NIV). It is clear that at this point they come to “life.” They were not living souls/spirits already, or that statement would be unnecessary. Thus, the description of their “resting” for a little while longer, when combined with the idea of “sleep,” used throughout the Bible for death, leads the reader to understand that the beheaded saints were to stay in their graves a little longer; that is, until the second coming of Christ.
Part III: Life Application
Because the main point of the story of the rich man and Lazarus is to hold on to the teachings of Scripture and let them change our lives, what do you need to let God speak to you about? Is it about the accumulation of material things and riches and living in luxury like the rich man, or is it something completely different? Perhaps selfishness in other ways? Covetousness of what others have, instead of contentment? Thinking that my opinions and my way is the best? In what area do you need God’s transforming power in your life? Take time to give it over to God in prayer.
Dying as a martyr is not something that we desire. Yet, Jesus said: “ ‘He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it’ ” (Matt. 10:39, NKJV). We could be so worried about losing our lives that we forget our mission to tell others about Jesus. How can we keep that mission first and foremost?
What can we learn about the difference between a cry for human vengeance and a cry for God to administer divine justice? How can we leave things in God’s hands more and trust Him to take care of things in our lives?
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Key Text: Luke 16:19–31
Part I: Overview
This lesson examines biblical passages that have been proposed by some as promoting the immortality of the soul and/or the existence of a forever-burning hell. The passages are as follows:
_Luke 16:19–31_: a parable about the rich man and poor Lazarus. Although some claim this parable to be a literal description of the afterlife, further study of the context demonstrates that Jesus instead used the parable (a) to show that being rich doesn’t guarantee heaven and (b) to call people to obey the Scriptures.
_Luke 23:43_: Jesus tells the thief on the cross, “ ‘Today you will be with Me in Paradise’ ” (NKJV). When compared with other passages in which Jesus says that He has not gone up yet to God on resurrection Sunday (John 20:17) and His statement that we will be with Him after He comes back for us (John 14:1–3), it is clear that Jesus is not promising that He and the thief will meet in heaven that very day. Rather, the thief will be in heaven after the resurrection. Christ’s whole sentence makes it clear: “I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”
_Philippians 1:21–24 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18_: Paul says that he looks forward to being “with the Lord,” but he is simply not including elapsed time between his death and the resurrection.
_1 Peter 3:13–20_: Christ’s preaching to the “spirits in prison . . . in the days of Noah” (NKJV) does not mean that Jesus personally delivered a message to the disobedient antediluvians in hell, but instead signifies a warning about the prison of sin, spoken through Noah by God’s Spirit.
_Revelation 6:9–11_: The souls of the martyrs who cry out for justice under the altar of burnt offering do not refer to literal souls; they are a symbol of those who have been murdered for their faithfulness to God.
Part II: Commentary
Let’s look a bit deeper at two of the passages studied in this lesson: (1) the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31) and (2) the souls of the martyrs crying out for vengeance (Rev. 6:9–11).
The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19–31)
Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus in order to demonstrate the seriousness of our choices while we are alive. Jesus did not tell this story in order to give us information about life after death. What we choose to give our allegiance to here, whether to Christ or not, cannot be changed after death (Heb. 9:27).
Moreover, the parable points out that if a person doesn’t care to be taught by Scripture, then even seeing someone come back from the dead will not convince them to believe. In other words, if a person has access to Scripture and yet doesn’t adjust his or her behavior, then if someone came to them with the news of an awful hell, it still wouldn’t make any difference. Jesus makes it clear that either a person has an open heart to God or a hardened heart, and it’s only that person’s attitude, or softness of heart, toward God that leads to repentance and a changed life (Ezek. 36:26, 27). We have no excuse because we all have need of the Scriptures that tell us about God (Luke 16:29–31).
Nothing in the context of this parable suggests that Jesus was dealing with the state of the dead here. Instead, in the previous passage Jesus is preaching about selfishness, dishonest gain, and stewardship mainly in reference to handling money. Then He transitions to the story of the rich man and Lazarus, emphasizing that wealth does not guarantee a happy eternity in heaven. In other words, eternal life is based on accepting the salvific work of Christ on our behalf. Moses and the prophets pointed to the Messiah.
Some have protested that this story should not be called a parable because it begins with “there was a certain rich man,” instead of specifying that it is a parable. But the argument doesn’t hold up because there are other parables that begin the same way, such as the previous one, which starts with the same phrase: “there was a certain rich man” (Luke 16:1).
The details of the story also disprove the idea of its being a literal description of a burning hell. First of all, it would be impossible for someone who is burning alive to feel refreshed by his tongue being cooled by a finger that was dipped in water. Additionally, the close distance between heaven and “hell” would make it impossible for anyone to enjoy his time in heaven if he could, at any point, have a conversation with a loved one right beside him, who is burning for eternity. The promise from the book of Revelation that there will be no more pain, sorrow, and tears in heaven would never be realized (Rev. 21:4).
We can be thankful that this parable does not represent reality. We serve a God who doesn’t torture someone for eternity. Roy Gane lists three major problems with an ever-burning hell:
“1. Would God feed fruit from the tree of life to the wicked to keep them alive in hell? If so, this would contradict the biblical teaching that only those who are saved enjoy the right to this fruit (Rev. 22:14). Consider Genesis 3, where God barred sinful Adam and Eve from the tree of life precisely to prevent them from living forever (Rev. 22:22–24), and as a result, they died (Gen. 5:5 regarding Adam’s death).
“2. In Revelation 20, the ‘lake of fire’ that destroys the wicked covers a vast area on the surface of the earth around the New Jerusalem (Rev. 20:8–10). There is no indication in Revelation 21–22 that the molten ‘lake’ remains as a permanent feature of the new earth.
“3. Those who are thrown into the ‘lake of fire’ suffer the ‘second death,’ which is the last death (Rev. 20:14, 15; Rev. 21:8). Therefore, they die; they do not go on living eternally in infernal misery.”—Roy E. Gane, “At-one-ment Forever in God’s New Heaven and New Earth,” Salvation: Contours of Adventist Soteriology, pp. 255, 256.
Souls of the Martyrs (Rev. 6:9–11)
Given the references to “slain” and “blood,” the altar in view here is the altar of the burnt offering, rather than the altar of incense. Because the blood of animals was poured out beneath the altar, the blood of the saints thus was symbolically offered to God as a sacrifice. The saints under the altar died because of their faithful witness to the gospel. Although a tragedy, their deaths also are a triumph because they died in Christ (Rev. 14:13).
The “souls” cry out, not for revenge but for legal justice. “God is asked to conduct a legal process leading to a verdict that will vindicate his martyred saints.”—Joel N. Musvosvi, Vengeance in the Apocalypse, Andrews University Seminary Doctoral Dissertation Series 17 (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 1993), p. 232. The saints were persecuted unjustly and died because they were faithful to God and dedicated to passionately proclaiming the gospel. The vindication for which they cry out is their own, but also, and most important, is for the character of God to be shown as true, holy, and just.
There are several reasons these saints should not be seen as literal “souls” who are crying out to God but, rather, as a symbolic representation of the blood of the saints that cries out for justice.
First, it is significant that the altar of the burnt offering was located in the outer court of the temple because, as Ranko Stefanovic points out, that means “the scene portrayed here takes place not in the heavenly temple but on the earth.”—Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation, 2nd ed. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2009), p. 244. The outer court thus symbolized the earth. Therefore, the “souls of the slain” are crying out from the earth and cannot, therefore, be spirits that are “alive” in heaven.
Second, after the saints are given white garments that represent the righteousness of Christ, the martyrs are told to “wait a little longer,” until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, are killed just as they had been (Rev. 6:11, NIV). Literally, they are told “to rest a little while yet.” The word for “rest” is anapauo, and is translated as “rest, refresh, to stop, or even to die.” It also is used in Revelation 14:13: “ ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest [anapauo] from their labor, for their deeds will follow them’ ” (NIV). This group appears again when they are brought back to life at the Second Coming: “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus. . . . They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4, NIV). It is clear that at this point they come to “life.” They were not living souls/spirits already, or that statement would be unnecessary. Thus, the description of their “resting” for a little while longer, when combined with the idea of “sleep,” used throughout the Bible for death, leads the reader to understand that the beheaded saints were to stay in their graves a little longer; that is, until the second coming of Christ.
Part III: Life Application
Because the main point of the story of the rich man and Lazarus is to hold on to the teachings of Scripture and let them change our lives, what do you need to let God speak to you about? Is it about the accumulation of material things and riches and living in luxury like the rich man, or is it something completely different? Perhaps selfishness in other ways? Covetousness of what others have, instead of contentment? Thinking that my opinions and my way is the best? In what area do you need God’s transforming power in your life? Take time to give it over to God in prayer.
Dying as a martyr is not something that we desire. Yet, Jesus said: “ ‘He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it’ ” (Matt. 10:39, NKJV). We could be so worried about losing our lives that we forget our mission to tell others about Jesus. How can we keep that mission first and foremost?
What can we learn about the difference between a cry for human vengeance and a cry for God to administer divine justice? How can we leave things in God’s hands more and trust Him to take care of things in our lives?